Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes; 1 1/16 miles; Oaklawn Park; Feb. 19, 2018 (10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth) Winner: My Boy Jack, by Creative Cause Trainer: Keith Desormeaux Jockey: Kent Desormeaux Owner: Don’t Tell My Wife Stables and Monomoy Stables LLC Beyer Speed Figure: 93 :: ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays, and analysis MY BOY JACK got a gorgeous ground-saving trip over a track that benefitted rail runners, and he drew away for a convincing victory in this race, the last of the early-round Derby preps worth 10 points to the winner. More than anything, though, this race thoroughly flattered the form of one of the top Derby contenders, McKinzie, who easily downed My Boy Jack in the Sham Stakes last month. My Boy Jack got a career-best figure in this race, so he’s obviously improving, and he has shown he can handle dirt after making five of his six starts last year on turf. He also is going to be one of the most-experienced horses in this year’s Derby field, assuming he makes it, because this was his eighth start, and he’ll run at least once more before May 5. He still looks as though he’s a cut below the very best, and he still needs to prove he can run as fast on dry land as he did on the muddy, sealed track he encountered here, but he’s making progress, and that’s an important consideration at this stage of the game. In this race, My Boy Jack lacked early speed and saved ground around the first turn while toward the rear of the pack, closed quickly on the leaders around the far turn, had to wait for a moment, but then got through inside when SPORTING CHANCE left the rail near the quarter pole. My Boy Jack shot up inside of MOURINHO in upper stretch and quickly kicked clear. COMBATANT, who finished second, was deftly angled over from his wide draw to save much ground around the first turn while seventh, saved ground to the far turn, then was gradually angled out on the turn to rally, vacating a spot that was seized by My Boy Jack. He ended up about four paths wide entering the lane, drifted in slightly in upper stretch, kept to his task, swapped over to his wrong lead in deep stretch, and was no match late for My Boy Jack. :: The Road to the Kentucky Derby Player's Package Sporting Chance, who was third, broke sharply and then settled into a ground-saving spot around the first turn while just behind Mourinho, stayed there to the far turn, and appeared to take a brief awkward step three furlongs out. He came under a ride to hold his position, got to Mourinho’s hip in upper stretch, got squeezed between Combatant and Mourinho a furlong out and had to check – causing him to swap over to his wrong lead – then courageously ran on while quickly swapping back to his correct lead and was able to catch Mourinho. This was his first start in more than five months, so he can improve off of it. Mourinho, who was fourth, broke half a step slowly and then appeared to take a bump coming under the wire the first time, but his natural speed carried him to the front. He was pretty keen turning into the backstretch and set a lively pace while hounded by ROAD TO DAMASCUS, put away Road to Damascus heading around the far turn, had a clear lead passing the quarter pole, drifted out slightly after My Boy Jack roared past him, then tired late. He didn’t get the same uncontested lead that propelled him to a career-best fig in the Smarty Jones. That easy trip made me circumspect about him after the Smarty Jones. ZING ZANG, who was fifth, has no speed and was toward the rear of the pack around the first turn, just outside My Boy Jack. He stayed there for much of the backstretch, was forced to rally three to four paths wide on the far turn, followed stablemate Combatant into the lane and finished evenly. KENTUCKY CLUB, who finished sixth, broke two lengths behind the rest of the  field and trailed into the first turn, remained well back much of the race, angled to the four path for the stretch run, and passed tiring rivals. SEVEN TRUMPETS and RETIREMENT FUND finished in a dead heat for seventh. Seven Trumpets ended up in a good spot around the first turn - just behind the early leaders while saving ground - remained inside to the far turn, was angled off the best part of the track to rally four paths wide, made a decent rally to enter contention, but lost his punch entering the lane, drifted in while slow to change leads, and tired badly through the final furlong. Retirement Fund was about two to three paths wide around the first turn while near the early lead, raced between Sporting Chance and EZMOSH down the backstretch, began to be outrun midway on the far turn, and faded. Road to Damascus, who was ninth, raced just outside Mourinho around the first turn and down the backstretch, had to be urged along three furlongs out, and quickly dropped out of contention. Ezmosh, who finished last of 10, broke out slightly leaving the  gate but quickly got in gear to attend the early pace while three paths wide, remained three deep to the far turn, was shoved along three furlongs out, but was engulfed by rivals, checked while tiring near the quarter pole, and retreated.